A radical theory on Zexen's origins...

[Lunarblade]

Keep in mind that this is total assumption on my part, and probably 100% false, but we can dream, right?

Zexen is somewhat a mystery amongst the Grasslands. Its culture is so vastly different from that of the Clans, it doesn't make sense. Supposedly, they were one of the original Clans of the Grassland. How, then, are they so radically different, in such a relatively short time span to change? There must be a reason that their culture is so unique and advanced.

My theory is that the citizens of Zexen are descendants of colonists from another continent in the Suikoden world.

Now, now, before you all set out to lynch me for my heresy, listen to my arguments.

First, it's obvious that the Zexen culture was "planted" there somehow. There's no way that a culture so advanced, so different from its bretheren, could appear on its own, in a very quick time.

Next, we must rule out surrounding areas. This can be done simply by location: any of the other applicable "planters" would have had to make an incursion on the territories of other Grassland tribes. Tinto, Dunan, Harmonia, they would all have had to make a major move to plant their own culture there. However, the culture of Zexen is totally unique from what we see of the above three, with the exception of Dunan, which is infuriatingly varied. Note that Dunan has to go the longest way through the Grasslands though.

Another point to keep in mind: the above countries want to establish trade with Zexen. Would a colonial power have to compete for its own buisiness?

ANY incursion of colonists from the East would probably work up the Grasslanders. Plus, Dunan doesn't have any easily accessible ports to the ocean, which brings me to the next point:

The settlement of Zexen is ON THE COASTLINE, in the West. Grasslanders obviously don't care much for the ocean, they're a landlocked people by nature. That would leave the coastline relatively empty...ripe for the picking of an advanced outsider.

Crossing to other continents IS POSSIBLE in the Suikoden world. In Suikoden III, a villager in Vinay del Zexay makes a comment about their ships "sailing to other continents". Take note, that's continentS...It's easy to think of ships capable of crossing the ocean only a century or two earlier.

THE ZEXEN LANGUAGE IS TOTALLY SEPERATE FROM THAT OF THE GRASSLAND TRIBES. When Hugo goes to the Zexen Council and is stopped by the Marshall, Lulu states "Everyone else here knows our language!" The knight obviously isn't a foreigner, so it seems that there is a major seperation there.

There is motivation for a power to do so. The deer antler trade is a vital part of the economy, so much so that Vinay del Zexay was founded based on it. There seems to be a fortune to be made in such a buisiness. Also note that the Grasslands are probably the best, easiest, place on the entire continent (that we've seen so far, at least) to make a colony in. VAST tracts of open land, many resources, and lightly defended by backward natives. This woud be a dream for any colonizing power.

I know this is getting long, so I'll finish this. Zexen is obviously not under the control of its parent country at the point of Suikoden III, so what happened? The same thing that happened in Latin America in real life. Interbreeding. The Zexen clan DID exist, they just happened to come upon those colonists. After a few years of information swapping, the cultures blur and eventually become one. Zexen is no longer a tribe, but its own distinct culture. And we have it today.

Well, what do you think? I'm ready to take any kind of criticism...
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[Maiazuru]

Pretty good. Its very possible that some people from another land came and mixed with grasslanders. However, one must remember that the Zexen Federation broke from the Grasslands 55 years ago. It was never considered a colony of any kind.

[Lunarblade]

[Excalibur1027]

Your assumptions are very beleivable, I find it hard not to agree with you after reading everything you said. It does seem very possible that the Zexens originally came from another continent, it's really not that crazy of an idea.
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[Njord]

Well... at first I just want to say that your theory seems somewhat logical to me, so I would agree on some of what you said, but I just want to comment on a few things...

I don't think that the Zexen culture was planted in the Grasslands because I always thought that at the beginning the Grasslands weren't inhabited by any living thing (of course except of animals, plants... or spirits), which explains the different races that are inhibiting the Grasslands in Suikoden 3.

Therefore, what I think is that because it was an uninhabited land (my opinion) so many races wanted to settle in it and make it a land of there own but after seeing that there was so many races, they agreed on dividing it to some pieces as we have seen in Suikoden 3. So that is why every race took the location where they could adopt in it, so that it can appeal for there own nature and way of living.

Another thing I want to comment on is the separation thing between Zexen and the other Grasslands, so what I think is that Zexen only separated from the other clans duo to their different ways of thinking and because of the different things that they believes in, like Zexen believing in their goddess and Grasslanders believing in the spirits.

At last, even if what you are saying were true, I would at least expect some kind of resistance or struggle toward the Zexens from the native people who inhabit the Grasslands or at least they would notice the new tribe (Zexens) that are establishing themselves in there Grasslands that may make a threat for them.

Anyway, that is why I think that the Zexen didn't force themselves in the Grasslands or to be more accurate didn't plant them selves in there but they only cooperated with the other clans to build the Grasslands that we now know and even when they are divided they are still a one land.
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[Lunarblade]

Njord, I can see your point. Like I said, however, the Zexen tribe DID exist as part of the Grasslands, but later changed with the arrival of a different culture. It's doubtful that the Grasslanders would turn on their own so quickly.
As for dividing Grassland, it's very doubtful that so many tribes would come to a mutual agreement on matters of such importance. The formation of the Grasslands seems to be more haphazard than that.
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[KoRnholio]

You make good points, but I don't really agree with you. Here's why.

1. This is very minor, but I'll mention it. I'm not entirely sure Zexen has a different language than the Grasslanders. Maybe it does, but maybe it doesn't. But I think Lulu's comment was that had had never, ever been to Vinay del Zexay, or likely any Zexen land whatsoever. In fact, he had probably never seen a Zexen citizen or knight before! All the Karayan children are told(as they are one of the agressive tribes) about Zexenites are probably bad, they are painted a picture of this evil 'other people', and probably assumed they didn't speak the same language. It may be true that Zexen has a different language than the Grasslands, but I don't think Lulu's bit means anything in that regards.

2. Zexen's culture isn't necessarily all that different from the Grasslanders. It is true, they are very aggressive, but so are the Lizard and Karaya clans! Their enterprising nature might be due to the fact that they are located on the coast. You know how Tinto broke off from Dunan, because they had enough trade and industry to be self-sufficient? Thats what may have happened to Zexen. They had what uou might call 'prime real estate', and easy access to trade. The other Grasslands tribes really didn't. Because they're landlocked. And so they don't really have any means to modernize, the Zexens on the coast are the only ones with a chance to do that! I believe as the land was settled and trade started to grow, and the merchants became richer, the Zexen sophistocated 'culture' as we know it began to form. Eventually, they became prosperous enough that they realized they could survive as a nation instead of a little clan, and so they became the first Grasslands tribe to actually do that, and with their trade money were able to fund an army, and build castles and whatnot. Their enterprising and aggressive attitude, likely borne out of their newfound status as an actual nation, caused them to clash with the other Grasslanders. Many Grasslanders and Zexenites would probably not even know that they all used to be the same, because it was so long ago.

This is of course not fact, but just my theory.

[Starslasher]

[Maiazuru]

Well, how old would you put Vinay del Zexay? I doubt it became a troue city that long before the Zexen Federation was formed...

[Starslasher]

You said that the Zexen federation broke away from the Grasslands 55 years ago. since the Second Fire Bringer War took place in Solis 475, that meant that this particular event happened in Solis 420.

In answer to your question Maiazuru, I would take a slightly educated guess that Vinay del Zexay was built in Solis 406, fourteen years prior to breaking from the Grasslands. It would take a very long time to build a country, much more than now at 2004, where wars last for months, not years.
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Guardian of Greenhill & Devoted Protector of Oulan



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